Category: NEWS

Distracted Driving Enforcement & Education Campaign

Put the Phone Away or Pay- April 1st – April 30th, 2026


Lower Township, New Jersey — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration’s Put the Phone Away or Pay campaign is reminding drivers of the deadly
dangers and legal consequences — including fines — of texting and other forms of messaging behind the
wheel. During the month of April, law enforcement nationwide will work together to enforce laws
prohibiting distracted driving behind the wheel. These efforts come during National Distracted Driving
Awareness Month.
Cell phone use, texting and other activities that do not contribute to safe driving are all forms of distracted
driving.
According to NHTSA the 2023 statistics are as follows. However, data collection limitations show that
these figures are likely lower than the real figures.

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Make-A-Wish Grants 13-Year-Old Leukemia Survivor’s Dream for a Day

On National Doctors Day, Make-A-Wish New Jersey and Hackensack Meridian Health celebrate 13-year old Alexander Alvarez from Carteret, New Jersey, who took on the title of doctor for the day as Make-A-Wish New Jersey and Hackensack Meridian Health partnered to grant his wish to become a trauma surgeon. 

For a child who has bravely battled leukemia, the last place you might expect them to want to be is back in a hospital. Yet, for Alex, his one true wish was to trade his patient gown for surgeon’s scrubs. Alex got hands-on experience and was immediately immersed as ‘Dr. Alex’ for the day.

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Philly Magazine: “Gloucester City the Next Hot Neighborhoods”

By Bill Cleary

Gloucester City is one of 40 communities to be named by Philadelphia Magazine as A Community to Watch. The March magazine article, written by Michael Callahan, looked at hundreds of towns both in the Philadelphia region and in the South Jersey area before picking the next hot neighborhoods.

Some of the guidelines Callahan used to choose the elite 40 towns, included such things as the proximity to center City Philadelphia, big shifts in population and wealth revitalized downtown.

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Cleary’s Notebook News Digital files: April 2007

By Bill Cleary

Gloucester City is one of 40 communities to be named by Philadelphia Magazine as A Community to Watch. The March magazine article, written by Michael Callahan, looked at hundreds of towns both in the Philadelphia region and in the South Jersey area before picking the next hot neighborhoods.

Some of the guidelines Callahan used to choose the elite 40 towns, included such things as the proximity to center City Philadelphia, big shifts in population and wealth revitalized downtown.

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Creek Road Development Topic of Bellmawr Council Meeting

Cleary’s Notebook News Digital files: April 2007

By Lois Staas
NEWS Correspondent

The public portion of the Bellmawr Mayor and Council meeting on Thursday, March 22, was lively and lengthy.

Several residents came forward to ask questions and state concerns about two sections of Bellmawr, one the turnpike and the other the Creek Road development project.

Patricia Byrne of Vaughn Avenue asked help with the removal of trees left behind from the dredging near the turnpike.

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Sheriff Shaun Golden Endorses Marine Veteran Michael McGuire for Congress

The campaign of Michael McGuire proudly announces that Monmouth County Sheriff and Republican Committee Chairman Shaun Golden has officially endorsed his campaign.

Sheriff Golden stated: “I am proud to endorse Michael McGuire for Congress. As a retired NYPD officer, Marine Corps veteran, and current Naval Reservist, he brings the proven leadership and deep commitment to public safety that Monmouth County and all of New Jersey need to protect our communities and support our first responders.”

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PhotoGov Review 2026: Is This the Best Professional Passport Photo Service Online?

Getting a passport photo rejected isn’t just frustrating — in 2026, it can mean weeks of delays and a resubmission fee on top of an already expensive application process. Since the U.S. State Department tightened enforcement in late 2025, banning any photo altered by digital tools or filters, the stakes for choosing the right service have gone up considerably. We tested PhotoGov across both its web platform and mobile app to find out whether it actually delivers compliant results, whether the free tier is genuinely usable, and where it falls short. Here’s what we found.

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Assembly Passes Bill to Boost Anti-Vaping Education

The New Jersey Department of Health would be required to develop and distribute comprehensive guidelines to help schools and colleges implement on-campus anti-vaping awareness campaigns under legislation passed by the New Jersey General Assembly earlier this week. Assemblywomen Shanique Speight, Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, and Carol Murphy sponsored Bill A2195.
Under the legislation, the Department of Health, in consultation with the Department of Education and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, would create and update guidance that equips school districts and institutions of higher education with research-backed strategies to combat the rising use of e-cigarettes among adolescents and young adults. The guidelines would be publicly available on each department’s website.
The guidelines would have to include recommendations for implementing multi-tiered, age-appropriate anti-vaping campaigns that promote positive behavioral change. They would also provide schools with research-based materials detailing the health risks of vaping, including its effects on lung health, mental health, pregnant women, workplace environments, and small children, as well as comparisons to traditional cigarette smoking.
“Strategic marketing and misinformation that downplay the serious health risks of vaping are targeting our young people,” said Assemblywoman Speight (D-Essex, Hudson). “This legislation ensures that schools and colleges have clear, research-driven tools to educate students about the dangers of e-cigarettes and empower them to make healthier decisions.”
Additionally, the guidance would encourage the use of decision-making models to help students resist peer pressure and make informed, healthy choices. Schools would also be encouraged to incorporate targeted marketing materials designed for middle school, high school, and college-age populations.”We cannot ignore the growing number of adolescents and young adults who are becoming addicted to nicotine through vaping,” said Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson (D-Hunterdon, Mercer). “By providing structured, age-appropriate guidance and updating it annually, we would be giving educators the support they need to confront this public health challenge head-on and protect the long-term well-being of our students.”
“As the Chair of the Assembly Health Committee, keeping New Jerseyans – particularly our youth – safe and healthy is my top priority,” said Assemblywoman Murphy (D-Burlington). “Bill A2195 would provide educators with the resources they need to teach students about the dangers of vaping and the need to avoid e-cigarettes as they grow and mature.”

Thousands in NJ protest President Trump in ‘No Kings’ rallies

 A small group of counter protestors gather near a No Kings rally at Somerset County Courthouse in Somerville, Saturday, March 27, 2026. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)

By Dana DiFilippo, New Jersey Monitor

Thousands of people hit the streets of New Jersey Saturday to protest President Donald Trump during the third official No Kings protests, a national day of action that mobilized millions around the country to demand change 14 months into his controversial second term.

Trump’s critics had plenty to protest, given all that has happened since the last No Kings protests in October, including a deadly, costly war with Iran, escalating brutality by immigration agents, and the deployment of armed immigration agents to airports.

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CDC: ANOTHER STRAIN OF COVID DISCOVERED IN NEW JERSEY


A new variant of COVID has been discovered in New Jersey, according to the CDC

The SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.3.2 was first identified in South Africa on November 22, 2024. BA.3.2 has approximately 70–75 substitutions and deletions in the gene sequence of the spike protein relative to JN.1 and its descendant, LP.8.1, the antigens used in the 2025–26 COVID-19 vaccines. CDC is using a multimodal SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance approach to monitor the emergence and spread of BA.3.2 and other SARS-CoV-2 variants internationally and within the United States. The first U.S. BA.3.2 detection occurred on June 27, 2025, through CDC’s Traveler-Based Genomic Surveillance program in a participant traveling to the United States from the Netherlands. The first U.S. detection of BA.3.2 in a clinical specimen collected from a patient was reported on January 5, 2026. As of February 11, 2026, BA.3.2 had been detected in voluntarily self-collected nasal swabs from four U.S. travelers, clinical samples from five patients, three airplane wastewater samples, and 132 wastewater surveillance samples from 25 states. BA.3.2 has been reported by at least 23 countries. SARS-CoV-2 continues to cause substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. BA.3.2 mutations in the spike protein have the potential to reduce protection from a previous infection or vaccination. Continued genomic surveillance is needed to track SARS-CoV-2 evolution and determine its potential effect on public health.

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NJ Bald Eagle Nests Dip Slightly, Likely Due to Avian Flu

The bald eagle population in New Jersey experienced a slight decline in active nests last year likely due to the impacts of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, according to the annual New Jersey Bald Eagle Project Report released today.

Photo/Rich Nicol

The report, developed by NJDEP Fish & Wildlife with the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, identified 251 nests that produced eggs in 2025, a five percent decrease from 2024, when a record 264 active nests were documented

“The Department of Environmental Protection’s work to restore New Jersey’s bald eagle population has been so remarkable that the species, once on the brink of extirpation in New Jersey, was removed from the state’s endangered species list last year,” said Acting DEP Commissioner Ed Potosnak. “This success, made possible with the support of countless volunteers over the years, is proof that DEP can deliver against seemingly insurmountable odds. This slight decline in active nests reminds us that we must remain steadfast in our efforts to protect bald eagles for future generations to admire.”

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